Al Sharpton wrote a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an effort to block talk show host Rush Limbaugh’s bid to buy the St. Louis Rams, according to the St.Louis Disptach.

Sharpton said Limbaugh has been divisive and “anti-NFL” in some of his comments, referring to incident in 2003 when Limbaugh, who at the time was a commentator on ESPN called Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb “overrated” because the media wanted a black quarterback to succeed.

ESPN.com reports that the leader of the NFL Player’s Union is also against Limbaugh owning a team.

In an email to the NFL Union Executive Committee, DeMaurice Smith said “But sport in America is at its best when it unifies, gives all of us reason to cheer, and when it transcends. Our sport does exactly that when it overcomes division and rejects discrimination and hatred.”

A video of Scoop Jackson, a writer/columnist for ESPN discussing the matter is below.

If Rush Limbaugh becomes an NFL owner, he will have a hard time finding black players to work for him.

From the New York Daily News:

Mathias Kiwanuka (New York Giants) and the Jets’ Bart Scott made it clear Thursday that they would never play for the Rams or any team owned by the controversial conservative radio host.

“All I know is from the last comment I heard, he said in (President) Obama’s America, white kids are getting beat up on the bus while black kids are chanting ‘right on,’” Kiwanuka told The Daily News. “I mean, I don’t want anything to do with a team that he has any part of. He can do whatever he wants, it is a free country. But if it goes through, I can tell you where I am not going to play.”

Read more about it here.

Speaking of Limbaugh, listen to his comments about Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

As BET.com reports, NFL star Braylon Edwards punched 28-year-old Edward Givens in the face outside of a Cleveland area nightclub early Monday morning. And “The King” is not happy about it.

NBA superstar LeBron James called Edwards childish for punching his friend who is a promoter at the night club, according to ESPN.com.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has James entire statement.

Givens said he was attacked because of his friendship with James.

Givens told Cleveland.com ”Braylon comes up and started saying things, degrading me,” Givens said. “He said if it wasn’t for LeBron [James] or the Four Horsemen [James' friends and business partners], I wouldn’t have what I have, nor would I be able to get girls. Everyone knows Braylon has a problem with LeBron. Whatever jealousy he has with LeBron, he felt he needed to take it out on me.”

A Cleveland man is accusing Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards of assault after an incident at a Cleveland area nightclub.

According to Cleveland.com, a police report filed by 28-year-old Edward Givens, a promoter with View Night Club, accuses Edwards of attacking him early Monday morning.

Givens was treated and released from a local hospital after receiving “a black eye and a cut.”

In a statement given to the media, Givens said his friendship with NBA star LeBron James may have led to the alleged assault.

Under Ohio Law, the victim has the option of pressing charges for simple assault.

Quarterback-turned-convict-turned-quarterback Michael Vick apparently did enough to convince NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that he’s sorry for acts of animal cruelty that landed him in the federal penitentiary for nearly two years, but PETA isn’t buying it. Just moments after the Philadelphia Eagles announced inking a two-year deal with the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, the animal-rights group lashed out. “You’ve got to wonder what kind of message this sends to young people who care about animals and don’t want to see them be harmed,” Dan Shannon, a spokesman for the group said in a statement. “We hope Vick has learned his lesson, we hope he feels remorseful for his crimes, but there’s not a lot of public indication that that’s the case. At this point, only time will tell.”  PETA members weren’t the only ones expressing outrage. Sports-radio shows were clogged with callers blasting the Eagles’ organization for signing Vick to the deal, worth $1.6 million this year and an additional $5.2 million if the team decides to bring him back in 2011. But the 29-year-old lefty wasn’t without his share of supporters. Donovan McNabb, the Eagles’ quarterback for the past decade, said he actually pressed management to add Vick to the squad. “I pretty much lobbied to get him here, because I believe everyone deserves a second chance, and what better place to come [than] here,” said McNabb, contradicting early reports that he was averse to bringing in such talented competition. “I look forward to him joining us in the next couple days.” Coach Andy Reid said, “Michael has proven he’s on the right track,” Reid said. “I’ve had a chance to talk to Michael a few times to make sure I know exactly where he’s at, and he’s in a good place. …I’m very excited … to have a good football player. You’re talking about one of the top quarterbacks in the league when he was playing, and he’s familiar with our offense, having done it the last few years in Atlanta. It’s a very exciting thing. We feel very good about it.” Ironically, the last time Vick played an NFL Game, he donned a Falcons helmet and played against the Philadelphia Eagles. On Dec. 6, the Eagles face the Falcons.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is now the NFL’s richest baller. On Wednesday, he signed a new six-year, $97 million, contract extension. His salary is roughly $15.3 million. Manning is guaranteed $35 million under the deal, which will keep him with the Giants through 2015. Manning led the Giants to a Super Bowl upset of the New England Patriots in February 2008 and was named the MVP of the game. He was in the final year of the contract he signed as the No. 1 overall pick in 2004. He will make $9.4 million under that deal this season. His big brother, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts, is about $14.17 million annually.

Eagles’ Defensive Coach Dies
Jim Johnson, the defensive general for the Philadelphia Eagles who led his team to one Super Bowl and five NFC title games, has died. He was 68. Johnson, who had been an NFL assistant coach for some 22 years, succumbed to cancer in his spine. The Eagles announced his death Tuesday afternoon, The Associated Press reports. Johnson had been on a leave of absence since May. “For 10 years, Jim Johnson was an exceptional coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, but more importantly, he was an outstanding human being,” said Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie. “As an integral part of the Eagles family, Jim epitomized the traits of what a great coach should be — a teacher, a leader, and a winner… It was easy to feel close to him.” Johnson was a defensive demon, known for his quick, blitzing defenses. From 2000-08, Johnson’s Philadelphia defenses ranked second in the NFL in sacks (390). During his 10-year tenure, the Eagles made the playoffs seven times and he produced 26 Pro Bowl selections, according to AP.

Will Michael Vick Find a Team
Disgraced NFL quarterback Michael Vick might be allowed to play pro football again, but so far nobody seems interested. Perhaps squads are merely waiting until the fervor dies down, but the frenzy over the speedy, former ball-slinger for the Atlanta Falcons is nonexistent. At the time Vick was convicted for financing a dogfighting operation in Virginia, he was the highest-paid player in the league. Today, he’s scrambling for a job. “We’ve had long discussions about Michael Vick and we have a feeling about how he would impact our team and not impact our team,” Baltimore Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said, acknowledging that he has considered Vick’s services. But Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens’ general manager, said his team has enough quarterbacks. Last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with Vick and said that he can immediately take part in preseason practices, workouts and meetings and can play in the final two preseason games. But that is contingent on him finding a team who wants him.

Troubled NFL Player Escapes Suspension Brandon Marshall, oft-misbehaving wideout for the Denver Broncos, won’t be suspended this season, as many had predicted, for his latest arrest for domestic dispute, The Associated Press reports. Marshall learned Tuesday that the NFL will not punish him for violating the league’s conduct code, despite his repeated missteps with the law over the past couple years. Last season, his season was delayed while he dealt with a bunch of police-related charges. In March, Marshall was arrested following a fight with his new fiancée. However, the charges were dropped when the couple refused to testify against each other, according to AP.  ”We are humbled, enthused and excited by this decision by the commissioner’s office,” Marshall’s agent, Kennard McGuire, told AP. “We also understand that Brandon has to continue to grow, be accountable and responsible. We have no doubt he’ll do all the above and more.”

Hammerin’ Hank Among NHL Purchasers Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron is among a group that is purchasing the Florida Panthers hockey team for a reported $240 million, Reuters News reports. Included in the deal are the NHL team, BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.; an arena management company; and some land surrounding the arena, according Reuters. In addition to Aaron, whose homerun record stood for more than three decades, the purchasing group, Sports Properties Acquisition Corp., includes Andrew Murstein, a New York City taxi tycoon; former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo; and Richard Mack, a senior partner at Apollo Real Estate Advisors.

A woman told police that she was raped by two men at the New Jersey home of Jets cornerback Kerry Rhodes, The Associated Press reports. However, Rhodes, who signed a five-year, $33 million extension with New York last year, is not a suspect in the alleged assault, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi. “Mr. Rhodes is not the target of any criminal investigation. Rumors and media reports to the contrary are untrue,” he said in a statement. The woman, a Canadian tourist, said she met Rhodes and another man at a Manhattan nightclub before being taken to a home in Morristown, N.J., where Rhodes owns a town house, AP reports. “I briefly talked with police on Saturday regarding an incident that allegedly took place at my home,” Rhodes said. “The police confirmed to me that I am not the subject of this allegation.”

A rule forcing NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate for coaching jobs may soon be applied to hiring general managers as well. The “Rooney Rule,” named for Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney who pressed the league to deepen its diversity, was enacted seven years ago after two lawyers threatened to sue the NFL if it did not hire more people of color. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that whether the rule is broadened to include manager-hirings is “a judgment I will make with the diversity committee.” Earlier this year, President Obama named Rooney, a lifelong Republican, to be U.S. ambassador to Ireland. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said that broadening the Rooney rule is “a good idea. We certainly have it with the coaches and this would be expanding it to the general managers. From what I understand, we did follow that when we did hire Bill Parcells.”